Jasper looked about him in great perplexity.

 

As his deliverer had told him, the next house was a story higher than the one on whose roof he was seated, and, still more important, there was a side-window looking out in that direction. When Jasper saw this, hope sprang up in his heart.

 

"If that window is not fastened I can get in," he thought.

 

He edged his way along to the window, and found that to reach it he would have to slide down a little way and catch hold of the blind to prevent sliding too far.

 

"There's some risk about it," thought Jasper. "Shall I try it?"

 

I don't know whether Jasper was justified¹ in taking the risk he did, for there was great danger of sliding over into the street. I don't think I should have ventured to do it; but our hero was fearless and courageous², and he resolved that, as this was the only method of escape, he would avail himself of it. As a precaution against slipping, however, he took off his shoes, and catching³ the strings⁴ in his teeth commenced the perilous⁵ descent. He succeeded in grasping the blind and staying his progress.

 

"Now, if the window should be fastened, what should I do?" he thought.

 

But it was not. He succeeded in raising it, and with a feeling of intense relief made his way into the chamber⁶.

 

Then for the first time there flashed upon him the thought that he had placed himself in a very suspicious predicament. He had entered a house at midnight through the window. Why might he not be taken for a burglar? This was the way a burglar was likely to enter, and if he should be caught here his explanation would be considered very unsatisfactory.

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